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County opts for runway expansion plan that won't increase footprint of Richmond Heights airport: Best of the beat

Edmond Aviv.zip

Members of the media try to get South Euclid resident Edmond Aviv to talk about his unusual punishment on Sunday, but he refused to speak. Judge Gayle Williams Byers ordered Aviv to stand at the corner of Trebisky and Monticello on Sunday, from 9am until 2pm, with a sign that says he is a bully who picks on disabled children and who is intolerant of differences. Aviv refused to speak to the media or to passers-by. (Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cuyahoga County has found a way to
extend the runway at its airport in Richmond Heights, and meet the demands of
some of its critics.

A previous plan that would have expanded the airport's
overall size and force the county to reroute nearby roads was met with backlash
from residents and city officials in the surrounding communities.

The latest strategy, identified by an environmental assessment as the option with the least environmental and community impacts, would not enlarge the airport's footprint or reroute
roads.

The county's airport expansion plan was the biggest story
out of Hillcrest for the week of April 6. In case you missed them, here's some
of the week's hottest headlines.

County says larger
planes "unlikely" with longer runway: Deciding on a runway expansion plan
has been a long process for the county and members of the surrounding
communities — Richmond Heights, Highland Heights and Willoughby Hills.

But the county said its only intention is to update the
facility to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety standards.

"We feel it is unlikely this expansion
will cause larger aircrafts to come to the airport," County Chief
Transportation Engineer Jamal Husani said. "6,500 feet would be the next
milestone to allow larger aircrafts to look at this runway. For the 5,500-foot
runway, it is unlikely for them to operate in that range unless they are very
light, and we do not anticipate that."

The county will hold a public open
house in the fall, then submit the concept to the FAA for final approval.

Judge
orders man to stand outside with bully sign: South Euclid Judge
Gayle Williams-Byers ordered a man convicted of harassing his neighbor to stand
outside for five hours Sunday with a sign that says he's a bully, NEOMG's Adam
Ferrise reports.

"I AM A BULLY! I pick on children that
are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My
actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community
that I live in," the sign read.

According to court records, Edmond
Aviv, 62, harassed his neighbors — two who have development disabilities, one
who is paralyzed and another with dementia — on multiple occasions throughout
the past 15 years.

He smeared feces on their property,
made a fan that blew the smell of kerosene toward their home, and used racial
slurs toward them, the records say.

After the infamous Bedford
Law Director Ken Schuman was charged with accepting bribes, among other
charges, in December, Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer took a
closer look at these government power players, surveying 43 municipalities for
their pay and policies.

Their duties vary. Some serve as city prosecutor, or oversee
the prosecutor's office. But virtually all law directors draft legislation,
represent cities in legal disputes, and advise mayors and city council members
— a weighted role in municipal government, where many officials lack political
and legal training.

Ohio Senate 25th
district Candidates on economic development, bipartisanship: A
lawyer who says he can "go toe to toe" with hard-headed Republicans, a former
state rep. who leverages his connections, and a Cleveland school teacher with a
farming background are competing for the 25th district seat in the
Ohio Senate.

The three Democratic candidates running in the May primary
shared their stance on serving a geographically and economically diverse
district in an interview with NEOMG editors and reporters
Thursday.

Cleveland School Teacher and Bedford Heights Councilman
Thaddeus Jackson wants to implement more programs to serve the needs of minority communities and boost
voter registration, he said.

Ed Jerse, a lawyer and former Cuyahoga County director of regional collaboration, said his professional training would help him
accomplish goals in the Republican-lead Senate: "To get that respect you need
to be focused on the issues at the center of the fight, and I have the capacity
to deal with those issues and deal with the tough guys on the other side."

Former House Rep. Kenny Yuko touts his previous accomplishments,
like working on legislation that brought casinos to Ohio, and says he is going
to "stand on his record."

"I've got a tremendous track record of working with the
Republicans and working with the Democrats. I don't care whose in charge, if
it's a good idea, I'm going to fight for it, and that's what I've done in the
past, and that's what I'm going to continue to do in the future," Yuko said.

Notre Dame
College searches for new president: Notre Dame
College hosted two presidential candidates on campus this week as the college's
trustees plan to choose a new leader by the end of the month, The Plain Dealer's
Karen Farkas reports.

Dean of the College of Business and Management at Lynn
University Thomas Kruczek and Immaculata University Vice-President for Student
Development and Undergraduate Enrollment Stephen Pugliese are the final
interviewees.

President Andrew Roth announced in October that he plans to retire in June.

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